Municipale Balcanica was founded in 2003 and, after substantial live activity, released their debut album “Fòua” in 2005 on the Italian Ethnoworld label. On their debut Municipale Balcanica mix Tzigane, Yiddish Klezmer and Eastern European sounds and the most radical and warm music from their homeland, Puglia, in southern Italy. The cd soon draws international attention. The prestigious journal International Folk World, assessed Municipale Balcanica’s ‘Hava Nagila’ as “one of the best interpretations heard among thousands of the last three decades.”
The approach to the ancient melodies is original and distinctive, because each musician has a very personal musical background. The entire brass section of Municipale Balcanica, for example, started its musical experience in the traditional marching band from the town of origin, which is why its expression is so powerful and vivid in the traditional Europeans tunes, and why it explodes in exciting solos included in the new arrangements. Similarly, the rhythm section gives new strength to the tracks, supporting this involving and incisive way of playing old tunes. The result is surprisingly compact, and gives new expression and new meanings to these songs.